TDY

By: Douglas Valentine

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

A CIA thriller based on a true Vietnam War story.

This novel by Douglas Valentine, author of the nonfiction best seller The CIA as Organized Crime, is based on a true story, one told to him in his youth by his father, and barely, yet grippingly, fictionalized here.

In early 1967, a bored, adventurous photojournalist on an Air Force base in Texas is offered a Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment somewhere overseas. The mission is steeped in secrecy, but Pete is promised a large bonus and hazardous duty pay. So he agrees.

He and a small group of photojournalists, each with a special skill, are isolated on a Special Forces base where they are kept under constant surveillance by a group of highly trained and menacing soldiers. The small band of 12 men is flown overseas on a transport plane large enough for 120 men. They are never told where they are going, until they arrive. And when they finally reach their destination, the mission that unfolds is terrifying beyond anything Pete ever imagined.

TDY tells how “black operations” are organized and conducted. Meticulous in detail, and accurate in every aspect of “over the fence” missions deep into enemy territory, it reveals for the uninitiated the skill, determination, and self-sacrifice of American soldiers.

In stark contrast to the honor and commitment of these soldiers, TDY reveals the unimaginable duplicity and corruption of powerful men for whom American soldiers and civilians are pawns in a ruthless game.

Written in sparing prose, TDY is a story of Pete’s journey through the underworld and his awakening to the reality of the Vietnam War and the CIA role in Southeast Asia.

©2020 Douglas Valentine (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing and Skyboat Media, Inc.

Riveting, once I hit play, I could not stop

I listened to this in one sitting, at times pausing what I was doing to rewind and listen to portions of it again… making sure I heard what I was hearing correctly. I enjoy and prefer stories like this, first hand accounts, which are not tainted by historians with an agenda.

Witness to Reality

Presented as a novel gives this story a much broader freedom to present a reality that only a few were witness to. Mr. Valentine has done a very commendable job with TDY. I recommend it to anyone interested in trying to understand what the “Secret War’s” original involvement & intent was and how the CIA played such a huge part of it all.

Amazing Story

A great listen. A riveting recollection of what were likely true experiences. Excellent narration. A perspective on the Vietnam War that makes more sense than the official story. I’m grateful to have had the chance to hear this audiobook.